Marlborough Committee Advances 450-Unit Forest Street Residential Overlay District

MARLBOROUGH — June 17, 2026 — Marlborough Urban Affairs Committee advances Forest Street residential overlay district with 450-unit cap. The four-member committee voted 4-0 Wednesday to approve a proposed zoning amendment creating the Forest Street Residential Overlay District on approximately 31 acres of limited-industrial land along Forest and Williams Streets, sending the measure to the full City Council ahead of a July 27 statutory deadline. Attorney Robert C. Buckley, representing developer Redgate Real Estate Advisors LLC, argued that 450 total units — not the 400 recommended by the Planning Board in a 6-0 May 18 advisory vote — is "the appropriate number for purposes of financing and making it a reality." The committee amended the draft to cap units at 450, raise public-way setbacks to 50 feet, and lower the maximum building height from 80 to 60 feet exclusive of rooftop mechanicals; questions on vesting timelines and a proposed demolition-permit restriction were referred to the city solicitor. In a separate 3-1 vote, the committee approved a modified special permit allowing Target to add a drive-up designation as a fourth wall sign at its 423 Donald J. Lynch Boulevard store, though the applicant must also obtain a Planning Board variance because the proposed aggregate sign area of 421 square feet exceeds the zoning ordinance's 300-square-foot limit.